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Letter: Enforce the rules in Willmar

The city should either enforce its established ordinances or repeal them.

Doing neither leaves ordinances suspect of politically motivated, selective enforcement at worst, or laziness and incompetence at best — while inspiring contempt for city government and rule of law.

For example, an adjacent home is a rental property, one for which the owner lacks a permit and claims as his homestead.

Garbage accumulates in and around the home; never mind the fact that the city mandates it be stored in non-porous containers and be removed biweekly.

Their cat roams freely, surviving off rats that thrive off their mold- and filth-infested home. Mold that is the result of a flooded basement that neighbors were left to drain and dry because of an irresponsible landlord who then left wet carpet and soggy sheetrock to ferment throughout the summer.

The city is neither proactive nor effective in enforcing their rules. After I informed officials of an issue they've long neglected, they quickly returned to their daily routine when a portion of the filth was simply relocated to two large backyard sheds where it continues to rot. Out of sight, out of mind — except for neighbors left tolerating nauseous odor as punishment for city incompetence.

In Willmar you can't have more than three chickens in your backyard, but you can apparently have dozens of rats and mounds of refuse.

I will not tolerate an inept city government that taxes and plunders my money for trivial city services.

It's time for Willmar officials to either enforce or repeal their ordinances. If not, their retirement can't come early enough for those eager for a city that recognizes its duty to play by the rules that they write.